Post-crisis, long-term shelter response is vital

In the 1989 movie, Dead Poets Society, a teacher played by Robin Williams challenged his students with carpe diem, a Latin phrase commonly translated as “seize the day.” Although the phrase is heard to this day, few will recall that the teacher lost his job because he didn’t consider the long-term implications of his actions.
The teacher’s fate in the movie is not all that different from many humanitarian shelter responses: Not thinking long-term when acting short-term – or more specifically, not informing relief actions with developmental thinking – can get you into big trouble.

So how long is the long in the long-term? In a related vein, and given recent changes in the humanitarian community organizational landscape, how early is the early in early recovery? When do we start long and early? Based on innumerable discussions I’ve had with people directly affected by disaster or crisis, often while standing amidst the rubble of their destroyed homes, the response would likely be now, tomorrow, or perhaps even yesterday